Overnight
by Iridaceae
Summary: After Aizen's death, Hinamori was left desolate and lost, and was sent away to recover. After a hundred years, she returned, but she isn't who Hitsugaya remembered to be. He wasn't the small Shiro she recalled either. Hitsugaya x Hinamori
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Bleach © to Kubo Tite.

**.0.**

**Prologue **

She knew the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.

He remembered the lost look in her eyes when she was first told of Aizen's true intentions; of how he betrayed Soul Society, resided in Hueco Mundo, threatened the fate two worlds with the vicious Arrancar, and nearly took away her life with just one thrust of his Zanpakuto.

She had refused to believe her former captain's wicked deeds initially. She had held on tightly to her belief that it was all Ichimaru Gin's doing, not her beloved captain's. She had clung desperately onto that belief, but soon found it slipping away from her grasp, as much as she hated to accept the truth.

Then—after months, maybe years worth of fighting and losing lives—it was all over. The threat of the Arrancar was gone, as well the existence of Aizen himself. Peace began to settle back into Soul Society and the human world. Reconstruction began, through repairing the buildings and erasing what memories that needed to be erased.

But there was always an aftermath. The aura of Soul Society itself was never the same. There was almost some sense of paranoia that resided in the air, as though the thirteen squads were suspicious of each other and wary of any more cases like Aizen's. His vice captain, Matsumoto-fukutaichou, had appeared to be relieved with the end of the threat, but he could sense the sadness and longing in her eyes whenever she thought she was alone; she was constantly sighing and staring out the window, and drinking more sake than usual. He wasn't blind; he knew she was one of the few people, if not the only one, to ever care about Gin. But that didn't make him seem any more of a traitor in Hitsugaya's eyes.

Then there was _her—_Hinamori: the worst victim of Aizen. The one who had been brutally betrayed and nearly mortally wounded. He watched in silent pain as she had constantly refused to eat or talk, her body frame growing weak and fragile as she had begun to waste away. Even through the busy work and reconstruction that had been occurring, he had still found the time to visit her every day in the fourth division headquarters. It was one of the only times when he wished he could have the ability to comfort someone with gentle words, to heal her broken heart.

But he only had his Zanpakuto, and his fierce will to protect—yet it was something that he had failed to do for the first time in his life.

The other squad members couldn't bear to watch Hinamori—the once cheerful and almost naïve young girl, deteriorate slowly into nothingness. They tried in vain to search for something to help the girl, though it was Hitsugaya himself who searched the hardest. Yet nothing seemed to prevail.

Then the decision was made. The general of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto-taichou, proposed that Hinamori Momo be sent away to the mountains in the North for personal rehabilitation and treatment.

"For how long?" Hitsugaya grunted, after hearing the proposal.

"For a hundred years, at the very least."

Hitsugaya's green eyes widened in surprise, and he opened his mouth to protest.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou's well being and treatment are not for you to decide, Hitsugaya-taichou," Yamamoto said gravely, before the young captain could speak. "Furthermore, no one is allowed to accompany the fukutaichou to the mountains other than those assigned for her treatment. You will stay here in the Seireitei and continue with your duties, Hitsugaya-taichou."

He still remembered when he last saw her, the image of her pale and fragile form still burned in his mind as she was brought away by half a dozen specially appointed shinigamis to help her recover. Nearly every captain and lieutenant was gathered there to see her off.

She had looked at him with deeply shadowed eyes, her eyes dark with regret and sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Shiro-chan," was all she said.

He remembered his fist unconsciously clenching as he watched her disappear, and the feeling that a great part of himself had gone along with her.

"_No, __Hinamori__...I'm sorry..."_

The realization that he could never see her again after a hundred years finally began to settle in.

"_...for not being able to protect you."_

His heart turned into ice. He knew it was the only way to keep going from them on.

* * *

**Please review, no flames.**


	2. Before it's Too Late

**Disclaimer:** Bleach © to Kubo Tite.

**.1.**

**Before it's Too Late**

_Where had his morals gone?_

A tall, lean figure slashed violently through a row of ten Hollows as he jumped high into the air, finishing them all at once. His snowy white hair and black and white shinigami robes blew back as he landed gracefully on his feet, his expression calm, almost bored. Aquamarine green eyes narrowed as he searched for any last traces of the Hollows' reiatsu, but felt none.

_What the hell is this, sending me to the real world to finish off a bunch of pathetic Hollows, he scowled mentally. TchDon't they have anything else better out here for me to kill?_

He killed ruthlessly now. There was no mercy anymore when he sliced away the lives he had been ordered to take away. All his anger, frustration, and anxiety were taken out during his battles.

There was no more desire to defend, to protect...just to kill.

He sheathed Hyorinmaru onto his back just as he felt the small communication device in his pocket vibrate. He flipped it open.

"What?"

_"Taichou? I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"_

He sighed, recognizing the female voice at once.

"Matsumoto. What is it?"

"You must return to Soul Society now, taichou. I have important news for you."

He scowled.

"I'm busy now, Matsumoto. Tell me when I'm finished with my work."

He heard her sigh over the phone. "This isn't 'work' that they sent you to do. I requested that they sent you out so that you could take out some of that built up frustration inside of you."

His scowl grew deeper.

"_You_ were the one who made me come out here and waste my time killing—?"

_"Just come back, taichou, please,"_ said Matsumoto, talking over him. There was a note of urgency in her voice. _"I assure you, you would not want to miss what I have to say to you."_

The talk ended. Hitsugaya felt an urge to crush the little device in his hand.

"...God dammit," he muttered darkly to himself as he placed the device back into his robes. He then used shunpo to quickly head back to the Urahara Shop.

But she was right, he reluctantly admitted to himself as houses and buildings flew past him. His vice-captain knew him better than he knew himself; he didn't know where the frustration kept coming from, or why he was so affected by it that even others around him could sense the change in his reiatsu.

Deep inside, however, a small part of him knew what triggered these emotions. But the other part of him refused to acknowledge them, shutting the thoughts away deep inside the corner of his mind. He had to shove them away; there wasn't any other possible means to move on as he did now.

Little did he know that it would come back to haunt him much sooner than he realized.

--

Matsumoto was already within sight and waiting for her captain as Hitsugaya approached the tenth division. He marched up to her and glared at her icily.

"What—"

He stopped. Looking closely at his vice-captain, he took notice of the pale expression on her face, a mixture of worry and agitation, as well as a change in her reiatsu. He quirked an eyebrow.

"...Matsumoto?"

She shifted uncomfortably, her blue eyes avoiding his green ones. But she seemed to notice his thinning impatience, and said quietly, "It's..._him_."

Hitsugaya gave a sigh. He was not in the mood to listen to useless information or whatnot at the moment.

"Who the hell are you talking about, Matsumoto?" he asked, trying to control his agitation.

Matsumoto closed her eyes and took a breath, rubbing her upper arm nervously.

"Gin...Ichimaru Gin. He's back."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in surprise. A strong feeling of fury rose up in his chest as he clenched his fists tightly. That traitor...what the hell is he doing back here after betraying us all with that bastard Aizen

"Where is he?" he asked coldly.

"In—In the Shrine of Penitence—"

Without another word, Hitsugaya turned swiftly on his heel, his mind made up on giving the traitor a good beating until he was satisfied. A hand shot out and grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Wait, taichou! You can't go see him, he's already being sentenced—"

"Don't tell your captain what or what not to do, Matsumoto!" he snarled, wrenching his arm away from her grip.

"Wait, taichou!"

But the white-haired captain had already disappeared in a flash, speeding his way across buildings and over alleys. He could sense Matsumoto following closely behind him, but he paid no heed. His flaming anger was all that drove him now.

The two sped up the stairs, reaching the narrow, long bridge in only a minute's worth of time. The guards stationed at the entrance of the tall tower barely had time to register their movements as they passed them before they entered and came to a stop.

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, sensing a weak reiatsu not far away. Matsumoto appeared behind him a second later after confronting the guards, panting slightly from the effort of running.

"T-taichou—"

Her words were barely out of her mouth when the tenth division captain disappeared again in a flurry of his robes, whisking across the endless spiral staircase. Sighing with frustration, Matsumoto followed his steps, halting to a stop when she caught sight of her captain and...him.

Ichimaru Gin was not standing near the window and gazing out at the Soukyoku as a prisoner in the Shrine should have been doing. Clad in plain white robes with a red collar on his thin neck, he sat in a shadowed corner with his forearms resting on his knees and his head slightly bowed, his face covered by hair that had long since grown out. Sensing the presence of his visitors, he lifted up his head, with his trademark grin plastered on his face.

"My my," he said blandly in his accent, as though they were merely greeting each other on the street. "Hitsugaya-taichou...Matsumoto-fukutaichou...long time no see, eh?"

Matsumoto caught a glimpse of her captain's fist tightening before it violently pinned the ex-captain against the wall by the collar of his robes. She could only stand before the scene, unmoving and unwavering.

Gin was neither surprised nor unperturbed by Hitsugaya's actions. In contrary to the white-haired captain, his grin only grew wider.

"It seems as though you've grown quite a bit since I last saw you, Hitsugaya-taichou," Gin commented airily. "My! How fast children can grow these days."

"Why the hell are you here?" Hitsugaya seethed as his eyes flashed, ignoring the other's comment. "You should dead, along with those other bastards."

"Here? No, I had no intention of being here at all!" Gin said dryly. "I merely wanted to come back and visit some old friends. Is that wrong to do, Histugaya-taichou?"

Hitsugaya's free hand flew to his Zanpakuto.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto cried out, moving forward as she realized her captain's intention.

Gin's head turned to wards her direction, and she immediately stiffened.

"Matsumoto-fukutaichou," he said softly, not forgetting to grin. "Still the loyal vice captain of the tenth division, I see. How ya been?"

He allowed his eyes to open suddenly, something that she had rarely seen him do. She coiled slightly under his gaze, his reddish eyes boring into hers.

The white-haired captain raised a snowy eyebrow, glancing from his shocked vice-captain to the traitor in front of him. Sensing the tension in Matsumoto's reiatsu, he released his grip from Gin's collar none too gently. As much as he despised the man, he didn't have the heart to see his vice-captain hurt.

How sad...he thought sardonically.

Without another glance at either of the others, he turned his back, his captain's robes swishing behind him.

"We're going, Matsumoto."

"...Yes, taichou."

Before they could take a step, Gin's accented voice rang out through the chamber again.

"I'm surprised ya didn't hear about the reason why I'm here in the first place, Histugaya-taichou. You'd be very interested, I'm sure."

Hitsugaya stiffened.

"...What the hell are you talking about?"

The ex-captain's grin only grew wider.

"...I met _her _along the way here."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. _Her _could only mean...

_...Hinamori..._

Gin chuckled, as though he knew exactly what was going on in the captain's mind. "That's right..."

There was something wrong in the way the traitor had said it. Realization dawning upon him, Hitsugaya's expression darkened immensely and his knuckles whitened.

"What did you do to her?" he said, fighting to keep the fury out of his voice.

The doors to the shrine suddenly burst open, letting in a flash of sunlight. The captain snapped his head around, shielding his aqua eyes from the blinding light, barely able to make out a small profile in the doorway. Then his eyes widened.

_This reiatsu..._

The profile slowly came into view, drawing nearer to the three.

_There's no mistaking it..._

Gin's grin widened slowly.

"Hello...Hinamori-chan..."

_Hinamori..._

Dark, flowing hair, now much longer than he last remembered, swayed slightly around her framed face. Her face was no longer childish; it was matured, but still soft. But the thing that struck out the most to him was her eyes; fiery and wild, not unlike a century ago when he witnessed her fight with Izuru Kira. Her arm was extended in front of her, gripping her Zanpakuto in a tight hold.

Then her gaze fell onto the tenth division captain, and her eyes widened in recognition.

"Sh-Shiro-chan..."

He hadn't heard those words once for more than a hundred years.

But now, everything was back. Those years didn't matter anymore.

It was as if everything had changed...overnight.

* * *

**Memo:** Erm, the next update will be in the very far and foggy future; maybe after a miraculous source of inspiration hits me.

My original inspiration came from the beautiful song OVERNIGHT by Aya; it's also the ending theme of the anime Le Chevalier D'eon.

**Please review, no flames.**


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